Method of forming tail-tie



.Aug. 4, 1959 w. F. REA 2,898,054

METHOD OF FORMING TAIL-TIE Filed Dec. 30, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. WILLIAM E REA Y WFM ATTORNEYS Aug. 4, 1959 w. F. REA 2,898,054

METHOD OF FORMING TAIL-TIE Filed Dec. 30, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG-6 T0 TWISTER 0R BUILDER INVENTOR. WILLIAM E REA ATTORNEYS United States Patent METHOD OF FORMING TAIL-TIE:

William F. Rea, Toledo, Ohio, assignor, by mesne assignments, to-L. 0. F Glass Fibers Company, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application December 30, 1954, Serial No. 478,622

1 Claim. (Cl. 242-18) My present invention relates to fiber packaging and more particularly to the providing of yarn in a continuous fashion for furnishing'the same to atwister, a builder, or a knitting machine; for example. Still more specifically this invention relates to a novel pirn band.

In the supplying of fiber to a twisting operation a magazine creel is utilized to temporarily store the fiber to be used in the twisting operation. In magazine creeling, as described hereinafter, a tail end of a first fiber package or pirn is suitably tied to a forward end of a second pirn or fiber package in such manner that the fiber of both packages may be withdrawn from the package in a continuous fashion. Accordingly any number of. packages may thus be supplied to a twister in a continuous production operation.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide for use in conjunction with a pirna novel pirn band,

or. more specifically a fiber receiving band. The pirn band is applied to the pirn prior to fiber packaging as noted more fully hereinafter, and the function of this pirn band is to provide the necessary tail for securing a first fiber package to a second package.

A principal object of the invention is to describe a novel method of attaining a tail on a pirn or package of fiber.

The invention will be more fully understood by reference to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the pirn 'band of invention;

Figure 2 illustrates a pirn or fiber package in combination with a pirn band as the fiber is initially being wound upon the band and pirn;

Figure 3 illustrates a completed package with the pirn band thereon;

Figure 4 illustrates a fiber package with the pirn ring removed and the tail end free for securing to the forward end of another package;

Figure 5 is a front elevational view of the pirn band of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a rear elevational view of the pirn band of Figure 1;

Figure 7 is a view of a further embodiment of the pirn band of invention;

Figure 8 is a view of yet another embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 9 schematically illustrates the general mode of operation of magazine creeling utilizing the tails provided in the method of invention.

Referring to the drawings, and first particularly to Figures 1, 5 and 6, a preferred embodiment of the pirn band or belt is indicated generally by the numeral 1. This band may suitably be of natural or synthetic rubber or of a plastic material such as polyethylene and preferably has a degree of resiliency such that it may be fitted relatively tightly over a pirn end.

The band has a large central opening 2 and comprises a circumferential channel 3 closed on the bottom by a base 5. Upwardly extending from the base 5 bound- Patented Aug; 4, 1959 ing the channel on either side thereof are circumferential rims 7, 9. The rim 7 is suitably of solid material therearound.

The rim 9 is preferably slotted through as indicated at 11 for communication of channel 3 with an outer side of the belt. One slot 11 is sufiicient but for the sake of dynamic balance I prefer to employ at least two oppositely disposed slots and most suitably for use in conjunction 'with glass fibers the slots are in quadrature.

The band is shown in Figure 2 in combination with a pirn 13, the bottom of the base 3 being fitted snugly over the pirn and with the rim 9 on the side remote from the extremity 15 of the pirn.

Shown partially on the pirn band and pirn in Figure 2 at 17 is a glass strand which is to be wound on the pirn to form a package such as is shown in Figure 3. The strand 17, it will be noted, has an extreme loose starting end 18 and the strand is wound around the base 5 a plurality of times, the windings preferably crossing over each other somewhat; then an inner portion of the strand is passed through a slot 11 and reversely drawn around the pirn as indicated. This initial operation of setting up the pirn band and pirn is preferably performed by hand, the extreme end 18 being held as by a thumb on the rim 7 while the strand is started onto the band and pirn. Thus the pirn band or belt will contain the strands laterally as well as circumferentially.

With the pirn set as in Figure 2 the pirn and pirn band are rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow "the windage effect occasioned by the rotation.

At high speeds the band- 1 is affected by centrifugal force and tends to pull out from the pirn thus setting up very considerable-stresses in the band. These stresses tend to rupture the pirn band at the slots 11 and I have found that it is desirable, particularly when the band is of a soft material to employ four of the slots 11; this has the elfect of distributing the stresses more uniformly and rupture is inhibited. When employing a plurality of slots they should be positioned symmetrically around the band to provide dynamic balance therein.

I prefer to employ a rubber or neoprene material of a durometer of about as such is sufficiently rigid to resist stresses under the action of the centrifugal forces usually encountered at winding speeds-and further such material does not abrade the glass fibers passing through the slot 11. However, other materials are suitable and the selection thereof is dependent to some extent upon, for example, the speeds encountered and the nature of the material being wound.

With the glass fibers of this specific example completely filling the pirn (Figure 3) and the rotation thereof stopped the fibers or strands on the band are cut through as indicated at 19 and the portion 21 which remains provides the desired tail (Figure 4).

The utilization of the combination of pirn and pirn band prevents any loosening of the strands of fibers as Winding takes place. Further the pirn may be shipped by the manufacturer to a processor with the pirn band thereon, the tail being securely retained in position all the while. Cutting at 19 to secure the tail 21 is then carried out by the fiber processor.

The tail 21 of a first pirn 23 is indicated in Figure 9 as being secured to a forward end of a second pirn 25. The pirns 23, 25 are mounted on a support 27 which is provided with upstanding spindles 29, 31. Pirn 23 as shown is mounted on spindle 29, pirn 25 being on spindle 31.

Also as shown in Figure 9 a guide eye 33 is provided above the support 27; the strand of glass fibers may then as shown be passed continuously through the guide eye to, for example, a twister as indicated by the legend. It is to be noted that when the glass fibers on pirn 23 have been run out the tail 21 provides that pirn 25 will be automatically run out thereafter.

Further since pirn or package 25 has a tail 35, provided as described, this tail may be run to the forward end of a new filled package mounted on the spindle 29.

The pirn band thus provides a secure retaining means for a fiber package tail during the winding of the package. For glass fibers which abrade easily the material of the band is most suitably rigid enough to resist the centrifugal force and soft enough to inhibit abrasion. Further since the fibers at 19 will in production operations be cut through quickly by a sharp knife it is desirable that the material used should not cut easily. A neoprene or rubber compound which is relatively stiff, that is of about 90 durometer, meets these requisites very satisfactorily.

The preferred embodiment of the band as shown in Figures 1, 5 and 6 has four slots for communication of the band channel with the outer side of the hand. These slots may as illustrated have walls which taper slightly and as already noted the slots are uniformly spaced.

However, as shown in Figures 7 and 8 the bands for the winding of glass fibers may also have two or three slots; with only one slot at high speeds the stress distribution around the band is uneven and accordingly the life of the band is adversely afiected. Three slot bands however perform nearly as well as four slot bands.

The utilization of bands having unslotted rims is possible where the material being packaged does not abrade readily, the strand in this instance passing across the rim 9 onto the pirn. I have found however that in general with glass fibers the strands abrade unduly and the tail is lost if the strand is not passed through a slot such as that shown at 11 in the figures.

The life of the pirn bands is substantially indefinite even with glass fibers when the band is appropriately balanced for high speed as indicated hereinbefore. The band itself is most suitably an integral body of somewhat resilient material such as rubber or neoprene and is readily and cheaply molded.

It will be understood that this invention is susceptible to modification in order to adapt it to different usages and conditions and accordingly, it is desired to comprehend such modifications within this invention as may fall within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A process of winding a package from a continuous strand of fibrous material which comprises, initially winding a strand as a plurality of circumferential turns about a removable element of a mechanical support, drawing the inner end of the strand from the circumferential turns in a reverse direction while retaining the circumferential turns of the strand in position and while supporting the reversely drawn portion, continuing the passage of the strand from the reversely drawn portion about the support to lock the said inner end on the support, then winding a main body of the strands on said support, cutting the circumferential turns other than the reversely drawn end to remove the same from the removable support and thus leave the inner end as a tail, and then removing said support to provide a package with an access tal References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,110,169 Vickers Sept. 8, 1914 1,868,408 Clinton July 19, 1932 1,881,383 Wylie Oct. 4, 1932 2,048,995 Clinton July 28, 1936 2,298,357 Elvin Oct. 13, 1942 2,451,468 Boyce Oct. 19, 1948 2,481,031 McDermott Sept. 6, 1949 2,573,598 Perry Oct. 30, 1951 2,585,584 Pollock Feb. 12, 1952 2,604,275 Hull July 22, 1952 2,625,334 Ewing Jan. 13, 1953 2,647,625 Mason et al. Aug. 4, 1953 

